Tag: acne

One of the ingredients that should be in every DIY beauty crafters cupboards is rose water, or another herbal water. Rose water is exactly what it sounds like – roses steeped in water, where the good components of the rose has soaked into the water. The great thing about these herbal waters, or herbal hydrosols, is that they are very versatile. They can be used as such as a face toner, or in a hair rinse. They can also be used in any recipe instead of water, and in that way you will get a lot of benefits from the hydrosol, instead just a filling agent (which water is). According to Livestrong, rose water is a mild antiseptic and is good for all skin types, especially sensitive skin, red and irritated skin as well as acne skin. In this post, I will discuss how you can find quality rose water in the shops, and how to make your own herbal hydrosols.

Did you read my 7 days acne treatment, in which I praised the acne-fighting properties of African black soap? Did you go out and buy yourself one? If my last post didn’t convince you, here’s some more info about african black soap that I’m hoping will convince you.

Sidenote: African black soap is mostly produced Ghana. Even though I think the name “African black soap” is a great example of how western-centered we are I’m going to call the soap African black soap in this post, simply because that’s the name it commonly goes by (at least in the western parts of the world). Also, I have no idea how you’re supposed to spell “ghanaian”.

Acne, zits, spots, blemishes, pimples, the reason my social life sucks… Whatever you call them, you’re more likely than not to suffer from them at some point in your life. And they’re not just for teenagers – many a post-15-year-old suffer from these nasty little (or BIG!) buggers. Actually, just a few months back my own boyfriend got a huge breakout. He’s never had any trouble with acne before, and now all of a sudden his forehead was just filled with them. (he’s 30, by the way, not 13). Luckily, there are so many things you can do to get rid of acne, and to prevent them from coming back. I’m going to share my one week long homemade treatment that I developed to get rid of acne and to prevent new pimples from occuring. (more…)

Aloe vera and baking soda, two things that can do wonders to clear up your facial acne.

This is a post by today’s guest blogger, Jason Ellis.

Facial acne is the worst kind of acne! Seriously, I mean – you can cover up body acne when you go out in public, but with the exception of some pretty developed makeup skills, it’s tough to constantly hide those tough, stubborn pimples on your face.

Also, if the breakouts are constant, it’s possible your facial acne is triggered by secondary conditions. For example, you might also suffer from facial sweating and blushing which only encourage those nasty zits to come back.

It’s true, in many cases, excessive facial sweating actually causes acne. That’s because sweat contains toxins, dry skin cells and sebum (oil). It coats your pores and makes the skin dirty. This buildup of debris can ultimately lead to pimples and further inflammation.

I know how it feels. The frustration is endless and you wish the pimples were gone – YESTERDAY! Just having to go out and face the world makes your avoid confrontation and any kind of attention. You’ve probably tried a few treatments here and there, only to be disappointed. Fear not, there ARE strategies that really can help!

The trick is using as gentle a remedy as possible so you won’t exacerbate the facial acne with irritation. So, let’s start with some super effective natural treatments.

As you probably have noticed, I have been awfully quiet lately. I’m sorry about that! I promise to do my very best to be a better blogger for you. And I do have some great things in store! A couple of new post series that I’m sure you’ll love, and before that, a post about making your own makeup!

But now, ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you about my newest craze. Clay! Oh my, the things it does to your skin. Cleanses, tightens, softens strenghtens and I don’t know what. If you have trouble with oily skin or acne, clay is your bestest friend in the whole wide world.

Recently, I picked up a box of green clay from an organic shop in Helsinki. Before that, I had only used white clay/kaolin clay, that I bought from the hardware store – it was actually meant for whitening floorboards *krhm*. I mean, it’s the same product and will certainly be good for your skin, but one might assume that when making a product meant to be walked upon, they don’t really care as much about preserving all the minerals that make clay so fantastic for you.

So I was quite astounded by the way my face looked after a face wash with the green clay. (more…)

I keep being surprised by how many of the things you can find in your kitchen cupboards can be used, and are proven to be really effective, skin and/or hair care products. My latest discovery is the tomato, that has turned out to be extremely effective against oily skin, pores and blemishes. Apart from vitamin C and A, that have both been proven effective against acne, the acidity in tomatoes will work as a natural exfoliant, removing dead skin cells and leaving you with fresh, glowing and healthy skin. Not to mention, tomatoes contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopene, which will provide protection against harmful UV rays and also work as an anti-aging agent. All this just from normal everyday tomatoes, can you believe it? (more…)

I think aloe vera must have been the first natural skin care product I came in contact with. The year was 1998 (or something in the lines thereof), and Hilda, 10, is on holiday in the Canary Islands. The Canary Islands is one of the places where aloe vera is grown, and it was sold as one of the main tourist souvenirs – alongside Canary Islands bath towels, hats, watches, shot glasses and Buddha statues(?!?). I remember thinking there was something almost magical about the plant, that could help so many issues.

And well, I guess was right. How on earth can one single ingredient really help you with acne, dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, removing old scars, irritated skin, warts, cuts and bruises, insect bites, sun-burn, hemmoroids. That soothes, cools, calms, softens and tightens? And when taken internally helps gastric ulcer, hangover, constipation and kidney stone. Well, there really is. (more…)

I love scrubs! Each wash leaves you with glowing skin, and they are really easy to make – basically anything with grains give a scrubbing effect.

This recipe is a mixed face scrub/mini mask. Either, you can apply to your face, rinse it off and you’re done. But if you have more time, just leave it on for a couple of minutes (up to 15) to let the clay dry, and nourish your skin even more. I usually leave it on while brushing my teeth and then rinse it off 🙂
It’s also really handy since it’s in powder format, so you never have to worry about it going off (If you make sure no water comes into the jar, it will last you forever, literally.) (more…)

This is a fantastic easy peeling that I took from Spa Index. It works the same way as those pore strips that you can buy.

You need

about half a tablet of gelatin

1 tbs milk

(a few drops of essential oils – I like tea tree and ylang ylang)

Heat the ingredients in the microwave or in a double boiler for a few seconds, just to melt the gelatin. If too warm, let cool until lukewarm. Then apply to areas in your face that are prone to acne, or to your whole face. Let it dry for about 10 minutes or until it’s completely dry.
You should then be able to peel off the gelatin in strips (if it doesn’t work, try applying a second layer and let dry).

I guess I don’t have to tell you (but I do anyway) that gelatin is made from animal skin and bones, and so if you’re a vegan you wouldn’t want to use this method. Also don’t be tempted to do this too often, twice a week max.

As part of the herb serial, I’m going to go through some of my own favorite herbs and flowers, and what they are good for. I shall start today with one of my absolute favorite herbs.

One of the most ignored and disliked herbs is the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). And why, really? Sure, it might sting you a bit, but just consider all it’s benefits.

Nettles are filled with vitamins and minerals (vitamins A, C, D and iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium), contain about 40% protein and are rich in fiber. It is good for fatty, acne skin and provides shine and strength to hair. All you need to do is soak the nettles in a bit of warm water and the sting will go away.